Brake for hoists, railways, and so on



Dec. 14 ,71926. 1,610,448

Y RHUNZIKER v BRAKE FOR HOISTS, RAILWAYS, AND S ON I Filed August 29, 1921 5 sheets-sheet. 1

Dec. 14 s 1926.

F. HUNZIKER I BRAKE FOR HOISTS, RAILWAYS, AND SO ON Filed August 29, 1921 5 sheets-sheet El). H m

Dec.

1,610,448 F. HUNZIKER BRAKE FOR HOISTS, RAILWAYS, AND S0 ON Filed August 29, 1921 Dec. 14 1.926.

1,610,448 F. HUNZKER BRAKE FOR HOISTS, RAILWAYS, ANDVSO 0NY Filed August 29', 1921 5 sheets-sheet 4 Da. 14 w26. l 1,610,448

' F. HUNZKER BRAKE FOR HOISTS, RAILWAYS, AND S0 ON Filed August 29. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRAKE FOR HOISTS, RALWAYS, AND SO ON.

Application mea August 29, 1921, serial No. 496,389, and in Germany rune 5, 1920.

The present invention relates to an improvement in the method of attachment and of setting into motion of brakes which opcrate on the rail by the friction of their surfaces on each side of the rail, in the manner of similar brakes used especially for lifts, aerial rope-ways, and cable-railways.

The object of the invention is to obviate on the one hand, the short comings attached to similar existing brakes and on the other hand to provide a construction of new forms of brakes which offer great advantages compared with those now in use.

In accordance with the present invention the brake is attached to the vehicle inv such a manner, that it is able to move freely, as far as is necessary, tranversely, land also as a whole or in parts to turn vertically to the plane of the track, so that the contact surfaces of the brake can freely and without any interference lay themselves against the friction surfaces of the rails. In this manner, on the brake being applied, the whole contact surfaces of the brakey will al- 'l ways be in operation and it will wear very little and evenly. The faces of the brake gripping the rail may be very near the faces of the rail co-operating therewith the brake therefore can close rapidly and instantaneous braking act-ion is effected. All prejudicial effects, like jamming, additional strains of the individual brake parte large Vpower requirements, unreliable and faulty action of the brake, etc., are prevented. In the drawings some devices are shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a railway car provided with my improved brake.

Figure 2 illustrates a. clutch-brake for wedge-head rails attached and actuated in accordance with the invention as vseen from the side, and Fig. 3 illustrates its front` view, part of it in sect-ion. Fig. l is4 a horizontal cross-section through the joints of the clutch, and Fig. '5 shows spindle and nuts from above. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate a different .form of clutch-brake, Fig. 6 being the side view, partly drawn in section, .F ig 7 is a cross section and Fig. 8 illustrates t0 the view from above.

Figures 9 to 12 illustrate an example of adaptation of the new rapid-clutchingbrake.

VFig. 9 illustrates the front view of the rapid-clutch brake.

Fig. 10 shows its side view.

thereof.

Fig. 15 is a vertical sectional view of a modilied form of the invention.

Fig. 16 is a horizontal sectional view ofk they same.

-In a frame 8 of the chassis of a railway carriage a spindle 1 is rotatably mounted having right-handed and left-handed screw threadsl adapted to swing friction gripping arms 3 on their pivotsy 4. The spindle 1 (Figs. 1 to 5) presses the brake-jaws 2 sit'- uated at the bottom end'of the brake in the well known operation againstthe rails from both sides, when theupper ends 0f the brakes are forced apart by the right-handed and left-handed threads of the, spindle 1. The lower part of the friction gripping arm is constructed in a similar manner to the ordinary brake gripping arms. The two arms 3 are provided directly above the level ofthe rail-head with joint pins 4- and they are connected with each other in themanner of shears by means of` two fish-plates 5. Outside of the fish-plates 5 the two` pins tyfit into elongated holes G of the shields 7 of the vehicle-frame 8, thus forming the lower horizontally sliding seats of the gripping arms 3. f

The brake-spindle 1 is arrangedto slide,v axially in the frame of the vehicle 8, and is retained in its mea-n position with the brake open, by springs 9. l It therefore permits of a lateral slidingy movement of the upper parts of the friction gripping arms as well. The nut-s 10 are spherical and are mounted in corresponding recesses in the upper ends of the gripping arms and hence permit any desired sliding or turning movement of the twoarms 3 without fat any time interfering with the transmission of power between spindle and said arms 3. VVit-h this example of adaptation each individual arm can therefore turn. VThe ball joints 10 between .spindle and arms may be replaced by other parts doing similar service.V In order toV enable the arms to ,turn` their ylower parts as well within the frame of the vehicle sufficient play has been allowed and they are rest-ing on one side with archedy surfaces 11 against the frame. ,On

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the other side the surfaces of the arms are level as at 12, to enable them to hang straight when the brake is opened. The holes 13 of the fish-plates 5 are rounded off' for the brake-pins Ll, so that they can alter their position to one another when the arms 3 are turning, without jamming.

ln order to apply the brakes it is only necessary to rotate the spindle or shaft 1 by any suitable means, a gear 92 being shown in Figure 3 for this purpose, which in practice is engageable witn a suitable chain or nut gear. rlhe springs 9 permit necessary endwise movement of the shaft 1. The right and left-hand threads of the shaft by engagement with the spherical nuts must meve the latter or from each other, according to the direction in which the shaft is turned and such movement of the nuts is communicated to the upper ends of the bralre arms or levers 3, said levers being caused to turn all their pivots Lland to also turn with respect to the spherical nuts as may be required by a curve in the traclr so that the brake shoes 2 will always be maintained parallel with the chord of the traclr if the same be curved. The slots 6 of the shields 7 permit angulaimovement of the pivots or joint pins 1l as will be understood.

ln the construction shown in Figs. (l to 8 other means to actuate the brake are shown.

The upper end of the armsare forced apartv by a wedge let. rllhe arms together with thewedge drive can be moved freely laterally, and the clutch arms 15 can turn freely. The latter are carried at their upper end by two guide rails 16so that they can slide transversely in the frame of the vehicle 17, and when the bralre is open, they are heli in their mean position by spring-pins 1S. 'lhe wedge 1-1, being on the one end connected with its drive (not shown in the drawing) by means of a ball-joint 19, is carried at the `other end by two arms 15 between two pressure rollers 20, so that it can move freely. The rollers 2() are rotatably mounted on the arms 15. rlhe lower portion ofthe brake is also carried movably in the vehicle-frame and it is constructed similarly to the first example described (Figs. 2 to 5) with the sole dierence that in place of the wedge-head-rail an ordinarily shaped rail has been drawn, such as are more easily obtainable anywhere and of all sizes.

In Figs. 9 to 12 a third example is shown. Two brake-wedges y31 with sliding-plates Q2 are placed at the lower end of two brakearms 83 at each side of the rail, free to slide in the direction of the rails, and they are actuated by the double-armed lever 34 with joint-pins 35, pin 36 throw-out-rods 37 and locking spring 38. The brake-arms 33 are held together above the rail by a connecting pin `39 'with two strong brake-springs 40.

'ance betwen the two brake-arms when theA brake is open, whereas a fish-plate l2 connects the upper ends of the brake-arms 33 at their proper distance. This fish-plate l2 with the brake-arms 33 is transversely movable on a girder a3 of the vehicle frame l5. 'l1 he lower part of the bralre is also movably held in a fish-plate 46 of tie vehicle-frame. rl`wo springs L17 maintain the open brake in its mean position whereas at the lower end it is guided along the rail. The two brakearms 33 support themselves, together or singly turnable vertically to the track-plane, at one sine against brake-shields -19 of the vehicle. Lathe 32, at each side reaching underneath the rail head and the nuts 21 prevent the vehicle from leaving the rails when the brake is being applied. The joints allow the bralre free movement as against its rods 311 to 37.

This'b-ralre operates in the following manner:

i W hen the bi 38 resting agr ii. tension, and the rods 37 are lrept in position by a throw-out device not shown in the drawing. lihen actuating the rods 37 the two brake wedges 31 are first of all thrown suddenly and forcibly in between the brakearms by the force of the locking springs 38, until they rest against the rail-head freely and perfectly at each side, and owing to the fact tiat the brake-arms have their upper ends inountet, :for movement transversf` of the frame and mounted for pnotal move]rurali` that the entire brel-te can adjust itself on the vehicle insuring the operation of brake whether the vehicle is on the straight tracl: or on a bend. The vehicle continuing on the move now draws the brakearms over the two wedges 31 resting en the rail until A g. ms 3?; forced apart by springs meet i prominences4 of the wedge 31 carryigr the latter along. 'lhe brake is now clef-ser1 and it gradually brings the vehicle to a stand `l'll owing to the slidingl friction en the ra'l. The eliiciency of the brake and the leaf-th of the run with the brake applied can l 1lated by the more or less streng teu ,aven to the brakesprings 4:0. n

rllie elliciency of the brake is quite independent of the grf lien y, of the load carried and of the impulses o adhesion. For this reason it can he applic to lifts -just as well. lt is a fact that the worlr of the catch-brakederice attached rigidly to the lifts heretofore used, is affected unfavourably if the lift for example is loaded unevenly, thus pressing the catcl -bralre-device to one side. A. fall-brake freely movable attached to a lift will lead here also to increased safety, and to more rapid and more even effect,

and promote a more perfect pressure on the lll) lili

CII

friction surface against the guide-rail, which will be of great advantage, espectially with the heavy mining-hoists. It is not necessary that the guide-rail should be a railroad rai with vertical lifts, it may be smooth and without a head, as has been the usual practise. In Figs. 13 and 14 one mode of constructing the brake in mnnection with lifts is shown.

On the frame of an elevator car two horizontal bars 51 are movably mounted in horizontal direction, extending above or below the car or lift from one rail 52 to the othe-r. They are fitted at each side with two brake-pieces 53 and they are interconnected by' connecting-pins 54 and pressed against each other by springs 55 all made in such a manner that the bars would be attached to the lift moving horizontally and freely within certain limits. Two pairs of brake-wedges 56 are provided, the wedges resting on two double armed levers 57 hinged to a common vertical rod 58 fixed to a hoisting rope 59. A spring 60 abutting on a bearing of the car at the one end and on the rod 58 on the other end pushes the wedges 56 between the pieces 53 as soon as the rope 59 breaks, or if the car lowers swiftly with an excessive speed etc. Thel mechanism between the brake and the rope suspension can be constructed otherwise as shown, but always in such a manner, that each brake shoe can adjust; itself freely in any direction independently of the others even after f some wear etc.

In any of the constructions shown, the brake pieces cooperating with the rails may be made adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the running face of the rails. If for instance in the construction shown in Figs. 13, 14, the distance between two rails varies the brake pieces need have some play to adjust themselves with reference to each other. Care is to be taken that in any position each brake piece bears with its whole breaking surface on the rail co-operating therewith and that the distance between the co-operating friction faces is a minimum to ensure a rapid closing of the brake.

In the brakes used in connection with rail-carriages a brake piece bearing` on the upper horizontal face may be used provided provision for adjustment in vertical direction is made to eliminate the effect of wear, of lowering of the axles of the so on.

A brake constructed according to this principle is shown in Figs. 15 and 16. On each end of a beam 63 of the cage, car, etc.

vehicle, and

a guide piece 64 is attached embracing the rail 65. Two levers 66, 67 are arranged in said guide piece pivoted on a bolt 68 passing through an elongated slot 69 of the web of the beam 63. The bolt 68 slides freely in said slot in such a manner thatV the free ends of the levers 66, 67 can follow the inequalities, the bends, etc, of the rail 65. Near the free ends of the levers l66, 67 they are traversed by a spindle 70 having a nut at each end and springs 7l between the nuts and the levers to press the levers 66, 67 against each other and on an abutment 66n of piece 64 in such a manner that they do not touch the rail 65. Each lever 66, 67 has near its free end a slot 67a running in the direction of the rail 65. In each slot a wedge 71 is slidably mounted resting on an arm of a double armed lever p-ivoted on the beam 63 and actuated by some brakegear which gear may be of any suitable construction. It is apparent that the braking surfaces of the levers 66, 67 follow closely the co-operating faces of the rail 65, the cooperating faces are near each other and a rapid gripping and a self-adjustment of the faces is attained.

I wish it clearly understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, the principle as shown applied to lever-brakes may be applied to other brakes as well for instance to brakes having cams or some other braking organ. The essential feature is that the braking element (Jo-operating with the rail has sufficient freedom to adjust itself to the deviations of the rail.

Having now described my invention what I claim by S. Letters Patent is zl. A rail brake comprising in combination, two gripping arms, pivots for saidV arms, bearings for said pivots, a. screw-spindle with right hand and left hand threads, and nuts on said threaded portions of said spindle and mounted on said arms for universal angular movement, and means to rotate said spindle.

2. A rail brake comprising in combination two gripping arms, pivots for said arms, running substantially parallel to the rail, bearings for said pivots adapted to give said pivots play in a horizontal plane parallel to the top face of the rail and operating means actuating at the upper end of the arms and arranged to give each of the arms a universal angular independent movement.

In witness whereof I affix my signature.

FRANZ HUNZIKER. 

